Maria Alekhina and Lucy Shtein
A letter written by Pussy Riot’s Nadya Tolokonnikova is calling on the Russian government to free fellow band members Maria Alekhina and Lucy Shtein. The pair have been under house arrest for two months after posting two Instagram demands for the release of political prisoners in Russia. Their posts were sent following the mass protests which followed the imprisonment of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
A trial this week in Moscow will determine whether Alekhina and Shtein’s house arrest will be extended or if the prosecution process will commence. The pair face up to two year in prison if found guilty.
Tolokonnikova’s letter is co-signed by a panoply of big names from the film industry including Martin & Janet Sheen, Whoopi Goldberg, Spike Jonze, Marina Abramovic,
Mike Farrell, Mia Farrow and Gillian Anderson.
The strongly worded letter calls upon the film industry to gives its support in demanding the women’s release, stressing how their continued incarceration serves “to oppress and persecute peaceful voices supporting democratic values in an effort to suppress any opposition against the authoritarian Russian government.”
European Film Academy Chairman Mike Downey commented March 15: “Masha Alekhina and Pussy Riot are tireless campaigners for human rights and justice…We worked together on the campaign to free Oleg Sentsov – and now Masha and Lucy are facing two years of incarceration. They are clearly victims of another Putin witch-hunt [who is] staging yet another show trial to deter their followers. The European Film Academy stands by Masha and Lucy and supports them in their struggle for basic human rights in Russia.”
The full text of Tolokonnikova’s letter reads as follows:
To Whom It May Concern,
“We, the undersigned organizations and individuals, call on the Russian government to immediately cease criminal prosecution of Pussy Riot band members Maria Alekhina and Lucy (Ludmila) Shtein. They face up to two years in prison for posts on social media advocating for the release of political prisoners in Russia. Ms. Alekhina has already spent two years in prison for performing the song ‘Virgin Mary, drive Putin away.’ Now she and other politicians and artists face charges of “inciting violations of sanitary regulations.”
“These baseless charges are part of the Russian government’s campaign to silence activists and discourage people from further protests stirred by corruption and the unfair and politically motivated imprisonment of Alexei Navalny.
“Ms. Alekhina’s imprisonment and her continued persecution under the guise of prosecution by Russian authorities directly violate international human rights laws and standards that protect freedom of thought, speech, and expression. These actions seek to oppress and persecute peaceful voices supporting democratic values in an effort to suppress any opposition against the authoritarian Russian government.
“We condemn the persecution of peaceful demonstrators who according to numerous reports are currently being beaten, tortured, imprisoned and ill-treated for participating in rallies. Persecution based on political opinion is unacceptable in any civilized society.
“We respectfully urge your government to drop all charges against Maria Alekhina and Lucy Shtein in observance of international human rights laws and standards. The international community of artists and human rights advocates around the world will continue to monitor their situation and press your government until you withdraw their cases.”
